Kurt Wallander - Three Sundays in May

OETA has announced the program I have waited a long time for - Kenneth Branagh staring as Kurt Wallander, the noteworthy character of Henning Mankell. The mystery series by Mankell is set in Ystad, Sweden and are classic modern day police procedurals. Mankell is a master at his craft and I think his stories will translate well to television.

Mark your calendars.

OETA has a short video trailer of the film.

May 10, 17, 31, 2009 Wallander Kenneth Branagh stars as complex detective Kurt Wallander, fighting crime and his own demons. Based on the books by best-selling Swedish author Henning Mankell, Wallander was filmed in rarely seen locations in southern Sweden.

Life of Pi - Love it or Hate it!

I enjoyed it. The story intrigued me on page one and I suspended belief until the end. This one will not be everyone's cup of tea and based on the variety of opinions at Amazon and on the Internet, that goes without saying.

Next Tuesday, April 28th, my book discussion group will have this one on the table and I suspect we will share a spectrum-wide variety of opinions about the book.

Written by Yann Martel and published in 2001, Life of Pi was awarded prizes and thoroughly thrashed by reviewers.

Here is an interview of Martel to give you a taste of him as a human being.



I will recommend the book because I found it ultimately creative, fresh, and unique.

Tallgrass by Sandra Dallas

My Tuesday Book Discussion Group talked about Tallgrass today. Thumbs up from everyone. What failings there were in the story were forgivable and minor in the general scheme of things. What we liked was the story, the plot, the characters, the mystery, most of the sappy touching stuff, and the human scale of the story.

Some scenes resonate Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird, such as the father facing down a lynch mob with the aid of his wife. The story served as a springboard to discuss prejudice, the War, small town life, the difference between growing up 'country' or 'city,' and how some of us are offered the rare opportunity to act above ourselves in aid of the oppressed.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Top o' the morning to ya!

Call Me Crazy ...

The Virgin of Small Plains by Nancy Pickard was the 2009 selection for Kansas Reads! I rounded up a dozen copies of the paperback edition for a book discussion which was held March 10, 2009. Five of us showed up to talk about the book. Mixed reviews, mostly disappointment.

The story grabbed me early. A mix of violent action, sex, mystery, death, and tension. What's not to like? The book was nominated for an Edgar, an Agatha, an Anthony, and won a Macavity Award for Best Novel. Pretty good company. Everybody and his dog wanted this book out in front. Problem is, the story did not deliver what was promised in the first 40 pages.

The book begged for a good editing and was left wanting. For example, an indelible scene of disgusting violence to a corpse is left unexplained and unsupported by the story. A pitifully ill woman intrudes on the story asking for a miracle from the 'Virgin' but served no purpose but to kill off a couple of baddies at the end to tidy up the story. Another character who promised looming violence and who could have been given redemption, up and disappears headed for greener pastures, maybe he ran away with the rodeo. The identity of the 'Virgin' (who was anything but) is a mystery except almost everyone in the story knows her name. Another unsatisfying plot device involves three exotic birds, one of whom goes missing in a tornado, that serve little purpose. The story suffered from so many red herrings that it should come with nose-plugs.

I could see the basis for this book being cooked up at a dinner party of writers where one dares another to write a mystery, set in Kansas, involving a dead virgin, a tornado, 3 parrots, a baby born in a storm shelter, a crazy judge, and an coitus that was interruptus for 20 years.

The book was laughably bad but had an engaging story arc that had me by the throat for the first several chapters and then the holes began to appear and the author was never able to put it back together. The author has huge skills with scenery, character, dialog, place, and beginnings. Her editor did not serve her well.

Talk About Literature in Kansas

Once again, our Friends of the Library are teaming with the Kansas Humanities Council to bring a challenging book discussion series to Independence. Today's Mysteries is the title and mysteries are what it is about.

The three-part series opens February 26 at 7 PM in the library meeting room where Sandra Calvin Hastings from the Johnson County Community College will present and lead a discussion of Reflex by the ever-popular Dick Francis.

The second discussion will take place on March 26 at 7 PM. Phillip D. Thomas will lead a discussion of Talking God by Tony Hillerman. Thomas comes from Wichita State University.

Lastly, Erin Pouppirt from Leawood, will lead a discussion of Where Echos Live by Marcia Muller on April 23 at 7 PM.


This series usually attracts a group with a lively interest in discussing a variety of takes on the viewpoints presented. Julie Hildebrand is the Library's Grant Manager for this series. Admittance is free and the discussions are open to the public.

Johnnie I Hardly Read Ye

Much of the civilized press recently noted the passing of John Updike with much fanfare and ballyhoo - marking him as a literary genius with a mountainous output - more than 50 books, countless short stories and essays, poems, grocery lists, and acceptance speeches for "The Best Writer in the Whole Wide World Award." Me, I could never get past chapter one, maybe chapter two, but no further. My shame is my own. I have hidden it well and avoided those cozy conversations trading tidbits from the latest Updike novel.

Maybe this is my non-Ivy League education coming home to roost, those night school courses at state universities where the beauty of the campus was less important than than balancing a job and an education with a family and a car payment.

I will admit that I tried. John Updike novels made the round-trip from the library to my night stand, but with all those first pages of Updike novels I managed to read, I admit that I never read a last page. But there is still time and I may use my retirement to become conversant in the antics of Rabbit Angstrom, but I doubt it. Anyway, another giant has passed.

Security at the Library

Last August we brought in a security company to help us with our security problems. Many of you remember the chaos that had become part of everyone's library experience starting at about 3:00 every afternoon. The problem with unruly kids had been confronted by library staff from the beginning - we wanted to turn the kids around - we thought we could reach them with argument, or with reward/punishment, we thought we could appeal to their better natures or to their parents, we thought that maybe we could single out the "real" trouble makers and then the problem would be solved. BUT, after a year and a half of butting our heads against a brick wall we brought in the pro's, and it worked.

When I say having a security guard worked I don't mean we have no more problem teens or adults, I mean that we have a professional to confront the person and resolve the matter. Staff is free to do library business and our security person is here to keep order and to keep the public safe. Just last night a small group of teenage girls were ejected from the library after raising a ruckus, abusing library staff with verbal filth and threats and generally making problems for everyone using the library at the time. Will they be back? They are welcome to come back if they bring a parent and are willing to sit down with library staff and go through a review of their behavior and what will be necessary for them to change in order to be allowed back.

I think many of the patrons that had been frightened off by the rowdy people at the library have returned and are using the library again, and for that we are grateful. We at the library remind ourselves regularly that our public service is a voluntary and consensual activity by the public - they don't have to use us and it behooves us to make their experience at the library a positive one that meets their needs, otherwise - we fail.

Our policy is about behavior. Everyone is welcome here at first. We are maybe one of the most neutral public services in Independence. We accept everyone at face value - at first, but we are committed to providing a public building that is safe for an 8-year old child to use on their own and we do what is necessary to keep that commitment - no apologies.

Happy Valentine's Day

Originally designed for the Museum of Modern Art as a Christmas card, the Robert Indiana screenprint is one of the most recognized pieces of art ever.


Publication excerpt
Deborah Wye, Artists and Prints: Masterworks from The Museum of Modern Art, New York: The Museum of Modern Art, 2004, p. 166

Born Robert Clark in Indiana, Robert Indiana took his native state's name after moving to New York in 1954, a gesture that presaged his Pop-inspired fascination with Americana, signage, and the power of ordinary words. In his studio on Coenties Slip at the tip of Manhattan, Indiana made assemblages of scrap materials and found objects, using stencils to introduce words into his art. By the early 1960s he was creating eye-popping paintings of text, numbers, and symbols that related to the hard-edge abstraction of the day, and included political and social overtones. Later he moved to the island of Vinalhaven off the coast of Maine, where he continues to work.

New White House Web Site

The President Obama Administration already has a new White House Web Site deployed. It is filled with good information about their plans. It is worth poking around on to learn a bit about what may happen.

Borrow those books, save a buck!

Watch CBS Videos Online

How can we help?

Brian Williams says it so well.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Send the word forth

I am adicted to Crash Hot Potatoes, I have given name to the sickness and may perhaps start my recovery. On a late-night forray into Stumbelupon, I hit a site where the picture below grabbed me by the eyes and demanded my attention.

The Pioneer Woman Cooks is the site and besides the wonderful recipes, the site has great photography as evidenced above. The recipe for Crash Hot Potatoes is simple, well illustrated, new (to me), and takes the humble red potato to a place it has never been.

I know, this is going way past the point where good form dictates it should -- they are JUST potatoes, after all; but that is the point, these spuds are not JUST potatoes, they are something sensual, creamy but crispy, earthy but heavenly, naughty but nice -- sorry, I've got to slowly back away from the keyboard and go check the oven, the next batch might be ready.

Christmas Tree Lighting Festival

Saturday night, December 6th, we held our second tree lighting party. I think about 300 people attended the event and we marked it down in our success column. Julie Hildebrand leads the task force of staff and library Friends that put this event together for our library. A lot of time and effort went into making it a success and I think it was worth it.

I thank all who helped!

Death of Tony Hillerman

I do not remember the circumstances of my first reading of a Tony Hillerman mystery except to say that I liked it and went looking for another. Over the years I have purchased both paperback and hard bound copies of many of Hillerman's mysteries and I have given them to many friends who had yet to discover this gem of a series. Last night I counted my collection and I own ten Hillerman books, representing nine titles with Listening Woman appearing twice.

Mr. Hillerman died October 26, 2008, at age 83. He wrote 18 books in his Navajo mystery series beginning with The Blessing Way in 1970, and concluding with Shape Shifter in 2006. The mysteries feature Navajo Tribal Policemen Lt. Joe Leaphorn, and Officer Jim Chee, usually separately but often crossing paths with Leaphorn as the respected but feared mentor to the younger, brasher Chee. The books cover nearly 30 years and have the older Lt. Leaphorn being widowed and retireing but still involved in solving mysteries usually with the help of Jim Chee. Thief of Time strikes me as one of the more interesting of the series if for nothing more than the singular scene of jumping frogs tethered with fine nylon fishing line to prevent their escape.

The movies that have been made using the Hillerman novels have not done justice to the books, in my opinion. I was disappointed in the films when I saw them. Hillerman's writing carries a skillful handling of the outdoor scenes on the huge Arizona/Utah/New Mexico Navajo reservation, argueably some of the most beautiful in America. Anyone who remembers John Ford's cinematic use of Monument Valley knows the area covered by the Navajo Reservation, and Hillerman uses it well.

Here is a wonderful essay that reviews each of the Navajo mysteries by Mr. Hillerman. Check out the sidebar review of the Skinwalkers movie, produced by Robert Redford.

If you have not read Tony Hillerman you might start the serier with Listening Woman rather that the first book The Blessing Way, Hillerman did not consider his first book as his best but that is arguable at least. This series presents police procedurals with unique settings, likeable characters, insights into Native American culture and how that culture has fared over the last hundred years or so. I think people will be reading these books for a long time.

Here is a three segment documentary titled Tony Hillerman: The Art of the Mystery from YouTube.

Per Wahloo and Maj Sjowall

I can only guess at the pronouncement of these names. I remember seeing their books on the shelves of libraries for years but I never once picked one up. They are a wife and husband writing team and they jointly wrote ten mysteries set in Sweden. I think I was put off by the difficulty of the names and my conclusion that someone who sound so foreign could not possibly write a book that would hold my interest, but boy was I wrong.

Last Sunday, as I was leaving Wichita I made my usual stop at Barnes & Noble for a large coffee to go for the 100 mile plus trip back to this corner of the prairie, and I saw a copy of Roseanna by Per Wahloo and Maj Sjowall being offered at half price with the purchase of another book of greater or equal value. Having been bitten by the Swedish mystery bug some while ago, I picked it up. The edition in my hand had a "New" introduction by Henning Mankell plus a glowing comment by Michael Connelly on the back cover. The book was first published in 1965 with the wife and husband writing alternate chapters. It took a little bit of faith for me to trust Mankell and Connelly on the power of this nearly 50 year old writing to still be readable, relevant, and interesting. They delivered the goods.

The book introduces Swedish Detective First Grade Martin Beck, whose angst-ridden character carries through the 10 book series. These are police procedurals from the days before cell phones, fax machines, email, computer databases, wire taps, and the host of electronic survelience devices police rely on today. I thought it might matter but it did not, the story is not "old-timey" because of these missing items, if anything the story is stronger because of the reliance on ingenuity and doggedness to get the job done.

The story in Roseanna opens with the discovery of the nude body of a young woman found during the dredging of a canal used by cruise ships during the summer months. No clues are found. But through hard work the woman is traced to her roots as a librarian from Lincoln, Nebraska (somewhere in the middle of the United States) and the story takes off. This was one of those rare books that from the first sentence I knew I had chosen well and that my interest was in the hands of masters. I am purchasing as many of the ten books in the series as I can find available. This writing team and their skill have earned their place on the "must read" lists of mystery readers, you won't be sorry. The books will be available for check-out mid-December.

The titles in the Martin Beck series are:

1. Roseanna (1965)
2. The Man Who Went Up in Smoke (1966)
3. The Man on the Balcony (1967)
4. The Laughing Policeman (1968)
5. The Fire Engine that Disappeared (1969)
6. Murder at the Savoy (1970)
7. The Abominable Man (1971)
8. The Locked Room (1972)
9. Cop Killer (1974)
10. The Terrorists (1975) The husband Per Wahloo died before this last mystery was finished and Maj Sjowall finished it alone.
    

Mongolia? You gotta be kidding me...

The Shadow Walker by Michael Walters is a murder mystery set in Mongolia. It is a good read, with well developed and likable characters, a diabolical serial killer, mutilations, political intrigue, and a moon-like setting.

Over the past few months I have been to North Korea, Laos, Thailand, Sweden, France, Italy, Scotland, Ireland, Canada, Japan, France, and who knows where, following some of the best mystery writing being done. Michael Walters is a Brit with roots in oil, broadcasting, and banking and he has written a convincing story that left me wanting more. The main character, Nergui is the former head of the Serious Crimes Team promoted into a position with National Security. Nergui teams up with Drew McLeish from England who is sent to help investigate the murder of a British National. A fast-paced investigation covers some interesting territory in this mostly unknown (to me) Asian country.

Give it a go, you might like it too.

Do you need a new ear worm?

They did it again. Here is the whole song. It is Bruises by Chairlift.

Pleasurable shades of Dick Francis

For decades Dick Francis has been delivering good stories and they always concern horse racing. The stories, settings, horses, characters, and plots are always different and compelling and those of us who have appreciated them over the years are reminded of the advancing age of Francis and the need for a replacement for his skillful stories. John McEvoy may be the replacement.


McEvoy's latest, Close Call is set in Chicago with a side trip to Ireland, and concerns the struggling horse racing track Monee Park where Jack Doyle takes over PR for the heir who is dedicated to keeping the park alive until legalized slots can provide the cash flow needed to meet the competition of legalized casinos. A Seabuscuit-esq racer contributes to the plot as do some nasty Southside louts. A very respectible third outing featuring Doyle. Earlier works in the series were Blind Switch and Riders Down.


I was up way too late last night reading Close Call and I look forward to the next one.

Leave your opinion at the door

Well, not exactly the door but just inside the front cover.

At the suggestion of a patron who had seen the idea used at another public library, we have begun putting a "What did you think of this book," slip in the front of new books. The sheet lets readers rate the book and leave their initials if they so choose.

Over the years I have noticed that a lot of readers put their initials somewhere in our books so that there is a reminder left behind to tell them that they have already read a book.

Our hope is that those who feel the need to leave notice behind so they won't waste time with a book already read will use the new inserted sheet as the place for them to leave their initials as a reminder.

Whatever. If you read a book and want to share your opinion of the book you now have a place to do it.

Library Security

Yup. There are now security personnel at the library. Valuable funds drained off of our budget that could have gone for books and programs. But safety and security are important too.

Part of our mission at the library is to provide a safe place for children and adults. The library needs to be safe and to seem safe with a minimum of intrusion on the intellectual pursuits of visitors. We had lost the ability to provide a safe atmosphere and so we have brought in a security firm to patrol the library in the afternoons when we are most impacted by youngsters too full of energy for the confined space of the library.

We have lost some adult library users over the issue of library security and we hope that by word of mouth they will learn of our added security and come back. All of our patrons are important to us.

Ten best mystery novels

I am still on this topic. My personal list is fluid.

1. City of Bones, Michael Connelly
2. Eight Million Ways to Die, Lawrence Block
3. L.A. Requiem, Robert Crais
4. Killing Floor, Lee Child
5. Death of a Red Heroine, Qiu Xiaolong
   
6. Listening Woman, Tony Hillerman
7. The Dogs of Riga, Henning Mankell
8. Night Passage, Robert B. Parker (Jesse Stone not Spenser)
   
9. Open Season, C. J. Box
10. New Hope for the Dead, Charles Willeford

That's my list for today. I am going to keep Willeford on the list because I still enjoy reading his four mysteries. They are hard to find but worth the effort.

I will be making room on the list for some of the new authors that are coming along. As I noted in my last posting, Calumet City was a terrific story and it won't be long until Charlie Newton takes up residence on many "Favorite" lists.

Disagree? Who and how? Let me know.

If I only had a brain

It is not often that I want to insist that others do something but I do now. GO TO TED AND SPEND SOME TIME. Lectures, demonstrations, performances, and talks by inventors, artists, physicists, philosophers, physicians, writers, and the gifted are offered. None are more that 18 minutes and many are shorter. Most are shorter than one might wish because the presenters are important thinkers talking about important things. They are the people you hear about and read about and if you rely on television sound bites for information you will not get the message that is available.

Go to TED and look into the possibilities, I dare you.

A taste: Jeff Han: Unveiling the genius of multi-touch interface design



They are not selling anything, nothing is asked of the viewer you can just go there and spend some time learning. Have fun.

Best I've read in years

Dark, gritty, action-filled, and fast. This one got me on page one and I could not stop reading it. Great plotting, good story, excellent dialog, Charlie Newton got it right the very first time (eighth novel, first published.) It rolls along better than a movie.

I'll be passing this one on to my mystery reading friends, Patti Black has a story to tell. This first novel does not end as though it is the first in a series but if Charlie Newton is asking opinions, my vote is for more.

What about those teens at the library?

I think this is a question some regular library users might be asking at the dinner table. Recently a couple of teens caused some heads to turn when they threw fist-sized chunks of concrete into the building from outside, through open front doors. The two boys in question had been asked to leave the building and library property because of a loud and ongoing disturbance in the building. Their response, once outside the building was to throw these potentially damaging chunks of concrete into the building. Luckily no one was hit by the objects. This is perhaps the low-point in dozens and dozens of difficult confrontations with teens over maintaining order in the library and protecting library property from damage.

Over the course of our time in our new building we have welcomed people from all corners of the Independence community to the library. Most are happy with what they find and use the facility in a reasonable manner but not all. The police have been called to the library multiple times to help with the orderly removal of groups of teens when events and emotions escalated to a level where physical harm seemed close at hand.

Positive and constructive efforts to engage teens have been fruitless.

Some regular library users are reluctant to come to the library because of the uproar that may breakout as teens act out unruly behavior. I think we have lost some customers who have been intimidated by them.

In spite of our tight funding I am asking the Library Board to authorize me to hire security guards to help protect the public, library staff, and library property from those who are unable to control themselves. What a time we live in.

Sandra Dallas

Want a good book? Try Sandra Dallas she writes a good story. I picked up Tallgrass when it came through on the new book cart. In Tallgrass, Dallas sets the novel during WWII in eastern Colorado at a Japanese internment camp which I had not known existed. A child from the camp is murdered and a farm girl from near the camp tells us the story of what happens. Part historical novel and part mystery, the story is engaging, the characters well developed, and the plot kept me turning the pages and wanting to read more by Dallas.



I looked to our fiction shelves to see what we had and I was pleasantly surprised to find a good selection of well-circulated books. I have no excuse for missing this interesting author except that I keep my interest in mysteries at the forefront of my reading priorities.


Jane Smiley called Dallas "A quintessential American voice."


In reverse order, her novels are:

• Tallgrass
• New Mercies
• The Chili Queen
• Alice's Tulips
• The Diary of Mattie Spencer
• The Persian Pickle Club
• Buster's Midnight Cafe

Dallas has character references between several of her books which makes for an interesting link between them. She doesn't use the same characters over and over, but the references are to earlier times and to the children of earlier characters - it is fun to watch for them as one moves through the books. Quilting is another element in her books and she makes it interesting. She has an excellent ear for dialog, and her historical detail rings true. My favorite is probably The Diary of Mattie Spencer and I have passed my recommendation on Dallas along to many readers.


My experience was that once I began one of these books I couldn't wait to get back to the story and I was sorry to have it end. You may enjoy them.

Six word novel, fifty word explanation

Attempting a six word novel is a seductive idea to which I yield:

• Turning sixty-five, adulthood dangerously near.
• Saigon. Smell of burning diesel fish.

One blogger, Bookie, bent the idea and came up with offering six word summaries or descriptions of novels she had read, with amusing and insightful entries.

• Year of Wonders - The plague sucks. Screw the minister.

• Life of Pi - I was lost at sea with a tiger. or was I?

GreasyGranma offered these.

• Big-Bang, Little Star
  Flash in the pan.
• Love Forever.
  Forgotten, Never.
  You're Clever.

Give it a shot and post to Comments.

I was so happy!

Someone sent me a photograph of the parade in downtown Lawrence celebrating the return of the 2008 NCAA Basketball Champion Team, the University of Kansas Jayhawks.

What a sight!

What a game!

What a series!

A mystery in black and white

Ok, here's the hook, the first-ever bank heist in North Korea with one of the robbers mowed down in the street outside the bank by an off-course bus, but wait, there is no body, and what about the beautiful Kazakh bank manager. Two weeks after the heist, the case lands on the desk of Inspector O, (but do THEY really want it solved, or not?) O ponders the corundum as he again considers plans for a never to be built book shelf for his office. Ok, the pace is slow and things are seldom as they seem but it is North Korea after all.

This is a solid proceedural written by James Church, who claims to have been an intelligence agent who now uses a pseudonym. At first glance I might have passed on this one but the pace and language of the first few pages sucked me in and I enjoyed it.

This is the second Inspector O mystery. The first was A Corpse in the Koryo, released in 2006. Glenn Kessler reviewed this one for The Washington Post and wrote:

"But the book has also caused a stir among Asia specialists because it offers an unusually nuanced and detailed portrait of one of the most closed societies on Earth -- North Korea. Much like Martin Cruz Smith's novel "Gorky Park," which depicted life in the Soviet Union in the early 1980s through the eyes of police inspector, "A Corpse on the Koryo" provides a vivid window into a mysterious country through the perspective of its primary character -- Inspector O."


I think the point he makes about the book is why I took to Hidden Moon, it was a peek into one of the most closed societies in modern times.

Remember Marshall McLuhan?

Back in the 1960's, The Medium is the Massage was hot and all the talk. If you could work a McLuhan quote into a college paper it was guaranteed an A. Here are a few I found on the Internet. His earlier The Gutenberg Galaxy was pioneering in the fields of oral culture, print culture, and media studies. (Wikipedia)

We owe Marshall McLuhan for the phrases, "global village," and "surfing," ("...to refer to rapid, irregular and multi directional movement through a heterogeneous body of documents or knowledge.") (Wikipedia)

He is very quotable ...

• The story of modern America begins with the discovery of the white man by The Indians.

• Money is the poor man’s credit card.

• We look at the present through a rear-view mirror. We march backwards into the future.

• Spaceship earth is still operated by railway conductors, just as NASA is managed by men with Newtonian goals.

• The road is our major architectural form.

• Today the business of business is becoming the constant invention of new business.

• All advertising advertises advertising.

• The answers are always inside the problem, not outside.

• Politics offers yesterday’s answers to today’s questions.

• Men on frontiers, whether of time or space, abandon their previous identities. Neighborhood gives identity. Frontiers snatch it away.

• “I may be wrong, but I’m never in doubt.”

• I don't know who discovered water but it certainly wasn't a fish.
  

• " ... as we transfer our whole being to the data bank, privacy will become a ghost or echo of its former self and what remains of community will disappear."

I would love to have heard his take on the "information" we are supplied by the government and the major news organizations today.